Opera Goes to Egypt: The Land of the Pharaohs in Song

Mention the words “opera” and “Egypt,” and most people immediately picture the grand spectacle of Verdi’s Aida – and rightly so! But there are many more interesting operas with Egyptian themes, featuring vivid characters like Moses and Aaron, Ramses the Great, Cleopatra, and of course King Tut. To coincide with the lecture at the JCCSF on “The Treasures of the Pharaohs” exhibition, San Francisco Opera’s Dramaturg Emeritus Kip Cranna will use video examples (with subtitles) to explore how composers’ deep fascination with ancient Egypt has inspired a surprising variety of intriguing operas.  

Clifford “Kip” Cranna is Dramaturg (Scholar in Residence) Emeritus of San Francisco Opera, where he served on the administrative staff for 40 years.  He holds a PhD in musicology from Stanford University and writes and lectures frequently on opera.  He teaches courses on opera appreciation at Stanford Continuing Studies, the Fromm Institute at the University of San Francisco, and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes (OLLI) at U.C. Berkeley, San Francisco State University, and Dominican University.  He is the recipient of several awards, including the San Francisco Opera Medal. 

Get introduced to the major and extraordinary international exhibition, Treasures of the Pharoah, with a FAMSF docent lecture at the JCCSF. Join us on Tuesday, 10/6/26